FREMONT — New taxes may be just around the corner for Fremont residents and business owners.

City Council members Tuesday night voiced their unanimous support for a measure creating a utility-user tax on the November ballot.

If approved by a majority of voters, the measure would give Fremont the authority to charge residents and business owners 7.5 percent of what they pay for utilities, such as gas, electricity, cable and water.

The general tax would generate an estimated $24 million that could be used to help restore to 2002 levels various city services, including public safety, maintenance and library hours.

“It’s encouraging to me to see movement on this tax issue,” said Sgt. Mark Devine, vice president of the Fremont Police Officers Association. He spoke in favor of the tax measure Tuesday, along with several members of the Fremont Library Advisory Commission.

Devine acknowledged that morale in the police department is low because of decreased staffing levels and increased workloads. “We’ve reached rock bottom.”

But the business community urged caution as the council proceeds with the measure. It is seeking “a solution that is fair — one that doesn’t put the burden on one segment of society,” said Billy Sandbrink, the new government affairs director for the Fremont Chamber of Commerce.

All this tax talk has been hard to stomach for Councilmember Bill Pease, but he said the city is left with no other options because the state constantly is taking local revenue.

“Being a registered Republican and talking about taxes is extremely difficult,” Pease said. “It’s with a sad heart and firm grip on my wallet (that I support this).”

A draft of the measure will come become the council on July 6. The public will have two opportunities to comment on its language — on July 13 and July 27 — before the council decides whether to officially place it on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Council members decided to pursue a utility tax because a public safety tax, maintenance tax, or any other special tax can be used only for specific purposes.

“A public safety tax would only help part of the problem,” said Councilmember Bob Wasserman, a former Fremont police chief. “I think we should go for the big nut to try to solve this problem.”

A city analysis shows that half of the utility tax would be paid by Fremont residents; the other half would be paid by commercial property and business owners.

The tax averages out to about $18 each month for households, $120 per month for small businesses such as fast-food restaurants and $825 per month for large supermarkets, a city report states.

Most Californians pay a local tax on their utilities. Of 13 cities in the state larger than Fremont, nine have a utility user tax.

But council members said getting voters to approve the measure would be a challenge — especially if Washington Hospital, in the same ballot, asks voters to pass a bond measure for building improvements.

“It’s critically important that … we get support from city employees and we enlist an active cross-section of the community to take part in this,” Councilmember Dominic Dutra said. “This will be an uphill battle.”

Staff writer Scott Wong covers the city of Fremont for The Argus. He can be reached at (510) 353-7002 or swong@angnewspapers.com.

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